Ecotoxicological assessment of organic wastes using the soil collembolan Folsomia candida

The reproduction test with the collembolan Folsomia candida is used as a tool to evaluate the ecotoxicological potential of organic wastes currently applied to soil. Seven organic wastes (dewatered sewage sludges, thermally dried sewage sludges, composted sewage sludges, and a thermally dried pig slurry) were tested. These wastes had different origins, treatments, and pollutant burdens, and were selected as a representative sample of the wide variety of wastes currently generated. F. candida showed varied sensitivity depending on the waste, but also depending on the endpoint assessed. Reproduction was more sensitive than survival, although no correlations between reproduction and physico-chemical parameters and pollutant burden could be found. On the other hand, mortality was directly related to the lack of stability of wastes, probably reflecting the toxicity of end-products such as ammonium. Body length was not shown to be a sensitive endpoint for waste testing, as it was neither affected nor even stimulated by waste concentrations.Organic matter, pH, and electrical conductivity varied with waste concentration in soil-waste mixtures, although their effect on collembolan performance was expected to be low and part of the complex effect exerted by wastes when applied to real soils. Selection of the water content is the most problematic aspect in waste testing, as it may affect the performance of test organisms. In this study, a qualitative approach for water content selection in waste testing was considered to be the most suitable.Treatment of wastes affected composition and toxicity. Composting of sewage sludge increased its stability, compared to the initial sludge, but decreased its non-persistent organic pollutant burden and toxicity. On the other hand, thermally dried wastes from sludge and pig slurry displayed high toxicity, mainly attributable to their low stability. The results from the study indicate the inability of chemical methods to predict the effects of complex mixtures on living organisms with respect to ecotoxicity bioassays, but also the need for stabilization treatments of organic wastes prior to their reuse in soils.     

The use of bioassays for evaluating the toxicity of sewage sludge and sewage sludge-amended soil

Background and Aims  

In soils, the most commonly mentioned hazardous substances are metals. One of the sources of its accumulation is the application of sewage sludge. However, little information is available regarding the estimation of the toxicity of sewage sludge or soil treated with sewage sludge, even by means of a battery of bioassays. In this study an evaluation of a battery of bioassays was carried out for toxicity assessment of sewage sludge and sewage sludge-treated soil. The objectives of this study were a) to compare the sensitivity of the different bioassays for the toxicity determination of sewage sludge contaminated with metals and soil treated with this sewage sludge, b) to elaborate a procedure for the attribution of sewage sludge samples to hazard classes based on the ecotoxicological data, and c) to evaluate the suitability of elutriate bioassays and microbial toxicity tests for the assessment of sewage sludge-treated soil.     

Effect of increased cobalt treatments on sewage sludge amended soil: Nitrogen species in soil and tranference to tomato plants

The effects of increased cobalt additions (0, 50, 100 and 200 v mg v kg m 1 soil) in sewage sludge-amended soil on organic matter, N Kjeldahl, ammonium and nitrate were studied in this experiment. Three different rates of sewage sludge were applied (0, 30 and 60 v tn v ha m 1 ) to soil as main plots, using tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill var. Ramy) such testing cultivation. Plant biomass and nitrogen content in tomato leaf were also monitored. The organic matter in the soil was clearly affected by the fertilization. N Kjeldahl, ammonium and nitrate were favoured by organic treatments. Co seemed to reduce the transformation of ammonium to nitrate on amended soils, with accumulation of ammonium forms, especially at the higher application rates of sewage sludge. This incidence of Co on nitrogen species in soil decreased with the time of experiment, probably due to the reduction of availability of the pollutant. Aerial biomass production and nitrogen content in leaf were increased for the organic fertilization compared to the control. Only very high levels of Co in soil reduced significantly the aerial biomass production of tomato plants in amended soils. Co seemed to induce a decrease of the nitrogen in leaf in the amended soils, but not for the non-fertilized soils.     

Applying a GLM-based approach to model the influence of soil properties on the toxicity of phenmedipham to Folsomia candida

Purpose

Soil properties are the main explanation to the different toxicities obtained in different soils due to their influence on chemical bioavailability and the test species performance itself. However, most prediction studies are centred on a few soil properties influencing bioavailability, while their direct effects on test species performance are usually neglected. In our study, we develop prediction models for the toxicity values obtained in a set of soils taking into account both the chemical concentration and their soil properties.

Materials and methods

The effects on the avoidance behaviour and on reproduction of the herbicide phenmedipham to the collembolan Folsomia candida is assessed in 12 natural soils and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) artificial soil. The toxicity outcomes in different soils are compared and explanatory models are constructed by generalised linear models (GLMs) using phenmedipham concentrations and soil properties.

Results and discussion

At identical phenmedipham concentrations, the effects on reproduction and the avoidance response observed in OECD soil were similar to those observed in natural soils, while effects on survival were clearly lower in this soil. The organic matter and silt content explained differences in the avoidance behaviour in different soils; for reproduction, there was a more complex pattern involving several soil properties.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the need for approaches taking into account all the soil properties as a whole, as a necessary step to improve the prediction of the toxicity of particular chemicals to any particular soil.     

Characterizing phosphorus availability in waste products by chemical extractions and plant uptake

Background: The fertilizer value of phosphorus (P) in waste products relies heavily on its availability to the subsequent crop. Aim: We studied the link between extractable P in waste products and apparent P recovery (APR, i.e., difference in plant P uptake between P amended and un‐amended soils divided by the amount of P added) using spring barley grown on three sandy soils. Methods: The products included sewage sludge, biomass ash, struvite, compost, meat and bone meal, biochar from sewage sludge, and industrial sludge. Soft rock phosphate and triple‐superphosphate (TSP) were included for comparison. Availability of P was characterized by extraction with water and solutions of sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, oxalic acid, hydrochloric acid, ammonium acetate, ammonium fluoride and anion exchange resin membranes. TSP was used to establish mineral‐fertilizer‐equivalents (MFE). Water and bicarbonate extractions were also applied to products incubated with soil before extraction. Results: The APR ranged 26 to 31% for TSP and 0 to 30% for waste products. APR correlated most strongly with bicarbonate extractable P. The correlation increased when products were incubated with soil before extraction. Conclusions: We conclude that bicarbonate extraction is a good indicator of potential P availability. However, interactions between waste products and soil properties modify P availability.     

尾矿池里添加大理石废料和有机物五年后植被覆盖和土壤生化特性研究

Tailing ponds pose environmental hazards,such as toxic metals which can contaminate the surroundings through wind and water erosions and leaching.Various chemical and biochemical properties,together with extractable and soluble metals were measured five years after reclamation of a polluted soil affected by former mining activities.This abandoned mine site contains large amounts of Fe-oxyhydroxides,sulphates,and heavy metals.As a consequence,soils remain bare and the soil organic matter content is low(< 3 g kg 1).Marble waste,pig manure and sewage sludge were applied in 2004.Plant cover and richness,and soil chemical,biochemical and biological parameters were analysed five years later.Results showed that all soil biochemical properties as well as vegetation cover and richness were higher in treated soils than in the untreated contaminated plots(control),although organic matter,pH values and extractable metals concentrations were similar among treatments.Soluble cadmium and zinc were lower in the amended plots than in control.As a general pattern,soil amended with pig manure showed higher values of most biochemical properties compared to sewage sludge application,while the doses did not have a great effect,being only significant for β-glucosidase,phosphodiesterase and arylsulfatase.Significant correlations were found between vegetation cover,richness and soil biochemical properties,suggesting a high interdependence between plant colonization and reactivation of biogeochemical cycles during five years.This study confirms the high effectiveness of an initial application of the amendments tested to initialize the recovery of ecosystems in bare mine soils under Mediterranean semiarid conditions.This research also shows the high sensitivity of certain biochemical properties in order to evaluate soil quality and reactivation of nutrients cycles in reclaimed mine soils.     

Effects of thermally dried and composted sewage sludges on the fertility of residual soils from limestone quarries

Limestone quarrying reduces the land's capacity to support a complete functional ecosystem. Adding sewage sludge to mining residues facilitates the establishment of a vegetation cover and can stimulate C and N cycling.We aimed to evaluate the effects of three composted and three thermally dried sewage sludges, on some biological properties of two types of debris (extraction soil and trituration soil) from a limestone quarry. Lysimeters filled with debris-sludge mixtures and control soils were sampled immediately after preparation and after being left in the open for 13 months. Total carbohydrates (TCH), 0.5 M K₂SO₄ extractable (ECH) carbohydrates, 0.5 M K₂SO₄ extractable organic C (EOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial respiration (MR), β-glucosidase activity and β-galactosidase activity were determined immediately after sampling. The treated soils were also analyzed for their more general physicochemical characteristics. Adding sewage sludge clearly improved the physicochemical and biological properties of the residual soil and the effect of the type of sludge was greater than that of the type of soil. The sludge effect was generally more durable over the trituration soil. The sludge effect decreased the most in MR and EOC followed by MBC and ECH. Total carbohydrates showed the least enhancement but the sludge effect on this endpoint had the smaller decrease with time. Root exudates and plant debris contributed to β-glucosidase and β-galactosidase activities in the treated soils. Activities present in mixtures partly corresponded to enzymes free in the soil aqueous face. β-Glucosidase was also partly associated with humified organic matter. Thirteen months after sludge addition a fraction of the organic matter present in soils was still moderately labile. Results observed in BMC and MR suggests the sludge did not cause major toxic effects on residual soils. The sludge effect differed with the pre and post treatments of the sludges; thermal drying made the sludge organic matter more easily decomposable.     

半干旱土添加有机改良剂后有机质的化学结构变化

A 9-month incubation experiment using composted and non-composted amendments derived from vine pruning waste and sewage sludge was carried out to study the effects of the nature and stability of organic amendments on the structural composition of organic matter (OM) in a semi-arid soil.The changes of soil OM,both in the whole soil and in the extractable carbon with pyrophosphate,were evaluated by pyrolysis-gas chromatography and chemical analyses.By the end of the experiment,the soils amended with pruning waste exhibited less organic carbon loss than those receiving sewage sludge.The non-composted residues increased the aliphatic-pyrolytic products of the OM,both in the whole soil and also in the pyrophosphate extract,with the products derived from peptides and proteins being significantly higher.After 9 months,in the soils amended with pruning waste the relative abundance of phenolic-pyrolytic products derived from phenolic compounds,lignin and proteins in the whole soil tended to increase more than those in the soils amended with sewage sludge.However,the extractable OM with pyrophosphate in the soils amended with composted residues tended to have higher contents of these phenolic-pyrolytic products than that in non-composted ones.Thus,despite the stability of pruning waste,the composting of this material promoted the incorporation of phenolic compounds to the soil OM.The pyrolytic indices (furfural/pyrrole and aliphatic/aromatic ratios) showed the diminution of aliphatic compounds and the increase of aromatic compounds,indicating the stabilization of the OM in the amended soils after 9 months.In conclusion,the changes of soil OM depend on the nature and stability of the organic amendments,with composted vine pruning waste favouring humification.     

The soil microbial community in a sewage-sludge-amended semi-arid grassland

Summary The value of sewage sludge for improving the fertility and productivity of a degraded semi-arid grassland soil was tested by quantifying and describing the effects of surface application of sewage sludge on soil chemical properties and the soil microbial community. Three surface application rates (22.5, 45, and 90 Mg sludge ha^–1) were tested over the course of two growing seasons. Most nutrient levels, including N, P, and K, increased linearly with increasing sludge application rates. Soil pH, however, declined linearly, from 7.8 to 7.4, with increasing sludge application rates. With the exception of Zn, heavy metals, including Cd, did not increase with the small decrease in pH or with increasing sludge application rates. Soil bacterial, fungal, and ammonium oxidizer populations increased linearly with increasing sludge application rates, and Streptomyces spp. populations remained relatively unchanged. The diversity of fungal groups declined initially with increasing sewage sludge rates but rebounded to near pretreatment levels under the low and intermediate application rates within 1 year. High fungal populations and low fungal diversity were related to the high nutrient contents provided by sludge amendment. Mucor spp. and Penicillium chrysogenum dominated the sludge-amended soils, and their densities in the treated soils in the first growing season were almost directly proportional to the sludge application rates. The improvement in soil fertility of a degraded semi-arid grassland due to sludge application was reflected in populations, diversity, and composition of the soil microbial community.The research reported here was conducted in cooperation with the USDI Bureau of Land Management which furnished funds and field study locations     

Carbon mineralization in an arid soil amended with thermally-dried and composted sewage sludges

Soil amendment with sewage sludge (SS) from municipal wastewater treatment plants is nowadays a common practice for both increasing soil organic matter and nutrient contents and waste disposal. However, the application of organic amendments that are not sufficiently mature and stable may adversely affect soil properties. Composting and thermal drying are treatments designed to minimize these possible deleterious effects and to facilitate the use of SS as a soil organic amendment. In this work, an arid soil either unamended or amended with composted sewage sludge (CSS) or thermally-dried sewage sludge (TSS) was moistened to an equivalent of 60% soil water holding capacity and incubated for 60 days at 28 °C. The C–CO₂ emission from the samples was periodically measured in order to study C mineralization kinetics and evaluate the use of these SS as organic amendments. In all cases, C mineralization decreased after the first day. TSS-amended soil showed significantly higher mineralization rates than unamended and CSS-amended soils during the incubation period. The data of cumulative C–CO₂ released from unamended and SS-amended soils were fitted to six different kinetic models. A two simultaneous reactions model, which considers two organic pools with different degree of biodegradability, was found to be the most appropriate to describe C mineralization kinetics for all the soils. The parameters derived from this model suggested a larger presence of easily biodegradable compounds in TSS-amended soil than in CSS-amended soil, which in turn presented a C mineralization pattern very similar to that of the unamended soil. Furthermore, net mineralization coefficient and complementary mineralization coefficient were calculated from C mineralization data. The largest losses of C were measured for TSS-amended soil probably due to an extended microbial activity. The results obtained thus indicated that CSS is more efficient for increasing total organic C in arid soils.     

Comparison of routine soil tests and EPA method 3050 as extractants for heavy metals in Delaware soils

Abstract

Agricultural use of sewage sludges can be limited by heavy metal accumulations in soils and crops. Information on background levels of total heavy metals in soils and changes in soil metal content due to sludge application are; therefore, critical aspects of long‐term sludge monitoring programs. As soil testing laboratories routinely, and rapidly, determine, in a wide variety of agricultural soils, the levels of some heavy metals and soil properties related to plant availability of these metals (e.g. Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, pH, organic matter, texture), these labs could participate actively in the development and monitoring of environmentally sound sludge application programs. Consequently, the objective of this study was to compare three soil tests (Mehlich 1, Mehlich 3, and DTP A) and an USEPA approved method for measuring heavy metals in soils (EPA Method 3050), as extractants for Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in representative agricultural soils of Delaware and in soils from five sites involved in a state‐monitored sludge application program.

Soil tests extracted less than 30% of total (EPA 3050) metals from most soils, with average percentages of total metal extracted (across all soils and metals) of 15%, 32%, and 11% for the Mehlich 1, Mehlich 3, and DTPA, respectively. Statistically significant correlations between total and soil test extractable metal content were obtained with all extractants for Cu, Pb, and Zn, but not Cd and Ni. The Mehlich 1 soil test was best correlated with total Cu and Zn (r=0.78***, 0.60***, respectively), while the chelate‐based extractants (DTPA and Mehlich 3) were better correlated with total Pb (r=0.85***, 0.63***). Multiple regression equations for the prediction of total Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, from soil test extractable metal in combination with easily measured soil properties (pH, organic matter by loss on ignition, soil volume weight) had R² values ranging from 0.41*** to 0.85***, suggesting that it may be possible to monitor, with reasonable success, heavy metal accumulations in soils using the results of a routine soil test.     

Effects of N-enriched sewage sludge on soil enzyme activities

Sewage sludge is increasingly used as an organic amendment to soil, especially to soil containing little organic matter. However, little is known about utility of this organic amendment with N-enriched or adjusted C:N ratios in soil. We studied the effects of adding of different doses (0, 100, 200 and 300 t ha⁻¹) and C:N ratios (3:1, 6:1 and 9:1) of sewage sludge on enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, arylsulphatase and urease) in a clay loam soil at 25 °C and 60% soil water holding capacity. Nitrogen was added in the form of (NH₄)₂ SO₄ solution to the sludge to reduce the C:N ratio from 9:1 to 6:1 and 3:1. The addition of different doses and C:N ratios of the sludge caused a rapid and significant in the enzymatic activities in soils, this increase was specially noticeable in soil treated with high doses of the sludge. In general, enzymatic activities in sludge-amended soils tended to decrease with the incubation time. All activities reached peak values at 30 days incubation and then gradually decreased up to 90 days of incubation. Sewage sludges also the increased available metal (Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) contents in the soils. However, the presence of available soil metals due to the addition of the sludge at all doses and C:N ratios did negatively affect all enzymatic activities in the soils. This experiment indicated that all doses and C:N ratios of sewage sludge applied to soil would have harmful effects on enzymatic activity. Some heavy metals found in sewage sludge may negatively influence soil enzyme activities during the decomposition of the sludge.     

Response of tall fescue to composted sewage sludge used as a soil amendment

A pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse to investigate the effects of composted sewage sludge as a soil amendment on growth and mineral composition of ‘Mustang’ tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Three desert soils (loamy sand, sandy loam, clay) were amended with two different composted sewage sludges (city and county) at rates of 0, 7.5, 15, 30 and 60% by volume. Tall fescue was grown in the amended soils for four months. Growth rates, measured as harvested clippings, increased with sludge loading rate and also with clay content of the soil. Higher growth rates were maintained with the city as compared to the county sludge, although for both sources, growth declined for most treatments after nine weeks. Turf color ratings and percent N in the tissue increased with sludge loading rate and were highly correlated. Tissue analysis indicated a varied response between soil types.     

The Phytotoxicity Changes of Sewage Sludge-Amended Soils

The aim of the present study was the estimation of changes in the phytotoxicity of soils amended with sewage sludge with relation to Lepidium sativum, Sinapis alba and Sorghum saccharatum. The study was realised in the system of a plot experiment for a period of 29?months. Samples for analyses were taken at the beginning of the experiment, and then after 5, 17 and 29?months. Two kinds of sewage sludge, with varying properties, were added to a sandy soil (soil S) or a loamy soil (soil L) at the dose of 90?t/ha. The addition of sewage sludge to the soils at the start of the experiment caused a significant reduction of both seed germination capacity and root length of the test plants, the toxic effect being distinctly related to the test plant species. With the passage of time the negative effect of sewage sludge weakened, the extent of its reduction depending both of the kind of sewage sludge applied and on the type of soil. Phytotoxicity of the soils amended with the sewage sludges was significantly lower at the end of the experiment than at the beginning. The species of the plants grown on the soils also had a significant effect on their phytotoxicity. The greatest reduction of toxicity was observed in the soil on which no plants were grown (sandy soil) and in the soil under a culture of willow (loamy soil). Solid phase of sewage sludge-amended soils was characterised by higher toxicity than their extracts.     

不同氮磷钾肥对土壤pH和镉有效性的影响

采用土壤培养方法研究了不同氮、磷、钾肥对土壤pH和镉有效性的影响。结果表明,在培养60 d时,所有氮肥处理均降低了土壤pH,增加了Cd的提取量;但高量尿素和氯化铵处理土壤pH降低最多,提取的Cd也最多;硫酸铵提取的Cd较对照增加最小。所有磷肥处理均引起土壤pH小幅降低,但对土壤Cd提取量的影响以普钙稍大。3种钾肥处理均降低了土壤pH,其中氯化钾在0 d时提取的Cd在所有钾肥处理中为最高,其提取能力15 d后逐渐消失,试验结束时所有钾肥处理对Cd提取量均低于对照。本研究进一步表明,在土壤Cd含量处于污染临界值附近或已受Cd污染的土壤上,应避免施用高量的酸性肥料如尿素、氯化铵、普钙,以及其他酸性物料。在常用磷、钾肥中,磷酸二铵和硫酸钾在Cd污染土壤上施用更为适合。     

Toxic effect of cadmium and nickel on soil enzymes and the influence of adding sewage sludge

Sewage sludge is increasingly used as an organic amendment to soil, especially to soil containing little organic matter. However, little is known about the utility of this organic amendment in the reclamation of soil polluted with heavy metals. We studied the effects of adding sewage sludge on enzymatic activities of a semi-arid soil contaminated with Cd or Ni in the laboratory. The activities of urease, phosphatase, β-glucosidase and protease-BAA were measured in soil containing concentrations of Cd or Ni in the range 0–8000 mg kg⁻¹ soil, and their inhibition was compared with those of the enzymatic activities in the same soil amended with sewage sludge and containing similar concentrations of the heavy metals. The inhibition was tested for three different incubation times to determine changes in the effect of the heavy metals on hydrolase activity with the time elapsed after contamination. Ecological dose (ED) values of Cd and Ni were calculated from three mathematical models which described the inhibition of the enzymatic activities with increasing concentrations of heavy metal in the soil. For urease and phosphatase activities, the ED values for Cd and Ni increased after application of sewage sludge to soil, indicating a decrease in Cd and Ni toxicity. The other two enzymes (β-glucosidase and protease-BAA) were less sensitive to Cd or Ni contamination, and it was more difficult to determine whether addition of sewage sludge had affected the inhibition of these enzymes by the heavy metals.     

Biological and physical resilience of soil amended with heavy metal-contaminated sewage sludge

Stability and resilience of a variety of soil properties and processes are emerging as key components of soil quality. We applied recently developed measures of biological and physical resilience to soils from an experimental site treated with metal‐contaminated sewage sludge. Soils treated with cadmium‐, copper‐ or zinc‐contaminated, digested or undigested sewage sludge were studied. Biological stability and resilience indices were: (i) the time‐dependent effects of either a transient stress (heating to 40°C for 18 hours) or a persistent stress (amendment with CuSO₄) on decomposition, and (ii) the mineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released by drying–rewetting cycles. Physical stability and resilience measures were: (i) compression and expansion indices of the soils, and (ii) resistance to prolonged wetting and structural regeneration through drying–rewetting cycles. Soil total carbon and DOC levels were greater in the sludge‐amended soils, but there were no differential effects due to metal contamination of the sewage sludge. Effects of metals on physical resilience were greater than effects on soil C, there being marked reductions in the expansion indices with Cd‐ and Cu‐contaminated sludge, and pointed to changes in soil aggregation. The rate of mineralization of DOC released by drying and wetting was reduced by Zn contamination, while biological resilience was increased in the Zn‐contaminated soil and reduced by Cd contamination. We argue that physical and biological resilience are potentially coupled through the microbial community. This needs to be tested in a wider range of soils, but demonstrates the benefits from a combined approach to the biological and physical resilience of soils.     

Soil biochemical activities and the geometric mean of enzyme activities after application of sewage sludge and sewage sludge biochar to soil

There is a need to improve the way in which wastes, such as sewage sludges, are managed and a potential way to proceed would be to transform them into biochar. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in the use of soil biochemical properties as indicators of soil quality because they are sensitive to alterations in soil management. Thus, we have studied the effect of a biochar obtained from sewage sludge on soil biochemical properties in an organic soil using two doses of biochar and comparing these results with the control soil and with soils amended with the same two doses of unpyrolyzed sewage sludge. Microbial biomass C, soil respiration, net N mineralization and several enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, phosphomoesterase and arylsulphatase) were monitored. The geometric mean of enzyme activities (GMea) was used as a soil quality index. Individual biochemical properties showed a different response to the treatments, while GMea showed an increase in the quality of soils amended with the high biochar dose and a decrease in those amended with a high sewage sludge dose. The geometric mean of enzyme activities was a suitable index to condense the whole set of soil enzyme values in a single numerical value, which was sensitive to management practices.     

Nickel in a tropical soil treated with sewage sludge and cropped with maize in a long-term field study

Sewage sludge produced by the SABESP wastewater treatment plant (Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo), located in Barueri, SP, Brazil, may contain high contents of nickel (Ni), increasing the risk of application to agricultural soils. An experiment was carried out under field conditions in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating the effects on soil properties and on maize plants of increasing rates of a sewage sludge rich in Ni that had been applied for 6 consecutive years. The experiment was located on a Typic Haplorthox soil, using an experimental design of randomized blocks with four treatments (rates of sewage sludge) and five replications. At the end of the experiment the accumulated amounts of sewage sludge applied were 0.0, 30.0, 60.0 and 67.5 t ha⁻¹. Maize (Zea mays L.) was the test plant. Soil samples were collected 60 d after sowing at depths of 0-20 cm for Ni studies and from 0 to 10 cm and from 10 to 20 cm for urease studies. Sewage sludge did not cause toxicity or micronutrient deficiencies to maize plants and increased grain production. Soil Ni appeared to be associated with the most stable fractions of the soil organic matter and was protected against strong extracting solutions such as concentrated and hot HNO₃ and HCl. Ni added to the soil by sewage sludge increased the metal concentration in the shoots, but not in the grain. The Mehlich 3 extractor was not efficient to evaluate Ni phytoavailability to maize plants. Soil urease activity was increased by sewage sludge only in the layer where the residue was applied.     

The effect of soil pH manipulation on chemical properties of an agricultural soil from northern Idaho

Abstract

Selected chemical properties of an artificially acidified agricultural soil from northern Idaho were evaluated in a laboratory study. Elemental S and Ca(OH)₂were used to manipulate the soil pH of a Latahco silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed, frigid Argiaquic Xeric Argialboll), which had an initial pH of 5.7. A 100 day incubation period resulted in a soil pH manipulation range of 3.3 to 7.0. Chemical properties evaluated included: N mineralization rate, extractable P, AI, Mn, Ca, Mg and K and CEC. N mineralization rate (assessed by anaerobic incubation) decreased with decreasing soil pH. Nitrification rate also decreased as NH₄ ⁺‐N accumulated under acid soil conditions. Sodium acetate extractable P was positively linearly correlated (R²= 0.87) with soil pH over the entire pH range evaluated. Potassium chloride extractable Al was less than 1.3 mg kg^‐1of soil at pH values higher than 4.4. Consequently, potential Al toxicity problems in these soils are minimal. Extractable Mn increased with decreasing soil pH. Soil CEC, extractable Mg, and extractable K all decreased with increasing soil pH from 3.3 to 7.0. Extractable Ca levels were largely unaffected by changing soil pH. It is likely that the availability of N and P would be the most adversely affected parameters by soil acidification